Obsessed

Jay-Z may have declared AutoTune dead, but Mariah Carey just revived it. On the debut single from her 12th studio album ("Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," due Aug. 25 on Island Def Jam), the singer who needs no vocal manipulation uses the effect with startling success. The key is making it look easy. Along with the-Dream and C. "Tricky" Stewart, Carey has crafted a gem of a diss record that coasts, even over its sputtering moans and synth jabs. One questionable Windex analogy aside, her lyrical boasts are biting and funny, and the syrupy lightness of her vocals is tailor-made for the ribbing she gives her mystery pursuant (reportedly Eminem). Though some lament Carey trading in her sky-high notes and ballads for a more constrained, R&B-friendly range, the singer has clearly found a new comfort zone that could very well produce her 19th No. 1 hit.

D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)

As the world waits for the third "Blueprint" album, Jay-Z keeps leaking new tracks that may or may not end up on the full-length debut of his new Roc Nation imprint. On this latest single, the former Def Jam president calls for the head of the super-popular audio voice processor Auto-Tune, used ad nauseam by everyone from Cher to Lil Wayne to T-Pain to his longtime pal Kanye West. As the producer credited as "No I.D." threads a big beat with a brilliant psychedelic jazz-funk sample worked from '70s French film composer Janko Nilovic, Jay riffs on Steam's immortal '80s kiss-off "Na Na Hey Hey." And while some might dismiss his lyrics as curmudgeonly hem-hawing about today's rap generation and its obsession with modern technology, the Brooklyn MC's intent on keeping his art pure is the reason why this old man's lawn is the most meticulous on the block.

Michael Jackson
Music Dominates Billboard Charts,
800K Albums Sold


On the day the world said goodbye to Michael Jackson, his legacy continues to shine on Billboard's charts, a testament to his lasting musical legacy and impact.

Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, Jackson's catalog of solo albums sold a whopping 800,000 copies in the U.S. in the tracking week that ended at the close of business on Sunday (July 5) night. That's an increase of 90% compared to the previous week, when his combined albums sold 422,000.

A jump in sales was expected, since this was the first full week of sales since Jackson's passing on June 25. Additionally, after most physical retailers swiftly sold out of available Jackson albums, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group were able to replenish brick-and-mortar stores with CDs last week to meet customer demand.

In turn, physical albums accounted for 82% of Jackson's sales last week -- 656,000 physical albums versus 144,000 download albums. In the week previous, when Jackson's albums moved a total of 422,000, physical albums accounted for 43% of that sum (181,000) while digital albums made up the other 57% (241,000).

When SoundScan's charts are released in the morning on Wednesday, July 8, Jackson's "Number Ones" collection will be the top selling album in the United States, with 339,000 (up 215%) and will also be No. 1 on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums chart. "Thriller" will be No. 2 with 187,000 (up 86%) while the third place set will be the newly released "Now 31" various artists compilation, which will start with 169,000.

Jackson will also again dominate the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. It tallies albums that are more than 18 months old, have fallen below No. 100 on the Billboard 200 and don't have a current radio single. Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on The Billboard 200 chart though they can chart on the Top Comprehensive Albums chart.

Last week, Jackson had a record eight albums out of the top 10 on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, while a Jackson 5 compilation also found its way into the upper tier. This week, the entire top 10 is all-Jackson, all the time. He alone has albums at Nos. 1-6 and Nos. 8-10 while a Jackson 5 title ("The Ultimate Collection") resides at No. 7.

On Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson will hold down five out of the top 10 slots, with "Man in the Mirror" leading as his top selling digital download song of the week (159,000; down 3%). Overall, it ranks as the second-best selling song of the week, next to the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (215,000; up 6%).

Jackson's total song download sales this week -- including his works with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons -- stand at 2.2 million downloads. Last week, the collected total was 2.6 million.